MONTREAL -- Astronomy lovers and skywatchers woke up early Thursday to catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse.

In some northern parts of Canada, including Iqaluit, people were able to catch what experts have termed a "ring of fire," where the circumference of the sun is still visible behind the moon.

Anyone living a little further south was treated to a partial solar eclipse.

In Montreal and Quebec City, the sun's diameter was hidden up to 85 per cent at 5:39 a.m., according to the Old Farmers' Almanac.

ECLIPSE SAFETY

"You should never look directly at the sun without appropriate safety equipment, even during an eclipse," reminds the University of Toronto's Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics. "However, with a certified eclipse viewer, it’s safe to look at a solar eclipse for a few minutes at a time. Certified eclipse viewers work by blocking almost all of the light from the Sun, allowing only a tiny, safe amount through."

Never use binoculars, a telescope, a camera, or a welder’s glass to look at a solar eclipse.

The next partial solar eclipse that will be visible in Canada will be on Oct. 14, 2023, while the next total solar eclipse is expected on April 8, 2024.